Boarding school at centre of sex abuse claims to close

A troubled £39,000-a-year boarding school at the centre of sex abuse claims is
to close.

The Stanbridge Earls School, which was branded the “Lord of the Flies” school by parents, has been accused of turning a blind eye to years of abuse amongst pupils, and is currently being investigated by police. Photo: SOLENT

The Stanbridge Earls School, which was branded the “Lord of the Flies” school by parents, has been accused of turning a blind eye to years of abuse amongst pupils, and is currently being investigated by police.

It will cease to exist from December 1, when another school will replace it on the 54 acre grounds in Romsey, Hampshire, parents were informed by letter this morning.

The letter pointed out that the school had for a “considerable time” been facing difficulties which are the “legacy of past events”.

Interim headmistress Maggie McMurray told parents that the school is facing financial difficulties as local authorities have refused to place students there.

The school’s alumni include film director Guy Ritchie, who suffers with dyslexia. He was expelled at the age of 15, although the reasons remain unclear.

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The announcement follows a Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal which found earlier this year the school failed to protect a pupil who claimed to have been raped twice, and then discriminated against her by excluding her.

Police are now investigating a number of claims of alleged assaults between pupils, and reviewing allegations that the 15-year-old autistic girl was raped on the grounds.

Hampshire Police is also investigating allegations of perverting the course of justice, and may refer officers involved in the handling of the original claims about the school to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

In one alleged incident at the school a girl, then 12, was forced to strip by a group of boarders in March 2011. The girl, who suffers with learning disabilities, has made three further allegations of sexual assault.

Her mother claims she was informed by police that evidence of the assault was found in emails between two teachers.

Another mother, whose autistic daughter is alleged to have been sexually assaulted by and raped within the space of two weeks in June 2011, said when the allegations emerged: “The behaviour [at the school] was like something out of Lord of the Flies.”

Both Ofsted and the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) provided the special needs school with glowing reports while sexual assaults were allegedly taking place.

Ofsted has since taken disciplinary action against some of the staff involved in their investigation of the school and have made a number of emergency inspections.

In May the Department for Education gave the school's leadership an ultimatum to get their house in order or to close.